On Skydiving, Hang Gliding and Taking Chances

All right. So I’ve put some thought into this whole skydiving thing. I haven’t totally ruled it out. But here’s why I’m not quite sure yet:

I had dinner at Mireya’s house a few days ago, and we talked in more detail about her skydiving experience. I should say that she absolutely loved it and said she would do it again in a heartbeat. She walked me through the entire process of the dive and showed me her video. Then she said, “I got a little nervous when they recorded us reading a statement that said we wouldn’t sue them in case we were killed or injured during the jump.” Oh, and someone died the week before. Lovely.

Yes. Yes. I know. Reading the statement on video was most certainly advised by the legal team and doesn’t mean that you’re actually going to get hurt or die. The overwhelming majority of divers have an excellent experience. And the person who died? He was a professional skydiver that made a careless mistake (something about an attempted stunt and a tangled parachute).

Nevertheless, I’m a scaredy cat. And I’ve decided I’m not quite ready to accept the possibility of plummeting to an untimely death.

On the other hand, I’ve totally decided that I want to go hang gliding. I’ve added it to the bucket list (item #5, second half of list).

Check out this hang gliding video:

This would still let me face my fear of all things high. And I would get to fly. Plenty scary. But somehow more serene. (And it lasts longer.)

Heather Rae

Photographer. Traveler. Storyteller. On the adventure of a lifetime. I'm a fan of running in mud, long conversations in little cafes, climbing mountains, watching waves. What's In Search of Squid? Quite simply, my quest to have it all.

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